OVER-STIMULATION OF THE SYMPATHETICNERVOUS SYSTEM LEADS TO INFLAMMATIONSQUASH IT BY STIMULATING YOUR PARASYMPATHETICS!

Blausen.com staff (2014)

Geo-Science-International

Blausen.com staff (2014)

"Neural reflex circuits regulate cytokine release to prevent potentially damaging inflammation and maintain homeostasis. In the inflammatory reflex, sensory input elicited by infection or injury travels through the afferent [sensory] vagus nerve to integrative regions in the brainstem, and efferent [motor] nerves carry outbound signals that terminate in the spleen and other tissues. In addition to exerting an anti-inflammatory effect in experimental models of sepsis, pancreatitis, ischemia, and arthritis, current research suggests that vagal activation can potentially modulate other diseases with an underlying inflammatory component."From the August 2014 issue of Europe PMC (Rethinking Inflammation: Neural Circuits in the Regulation of Immunity).

While having a strong and properly-functioning immune system is a big deal, having a hyped-up, super-charged immune system is not as it leads to the body attacking itself (autoimmunity). Inflammation is part of the immune system, and it was just A WEEK AGO I wrote about the scam that is the new class of drugs being used to address inflammation ($200,000 / year). Today I want to show you a completely different and revolutionary way to address inflammation, as well as what you can do to be part of the revolution. When it comes to figuring out what may be DRIVING INFLAMMATION, fixing your diet is the lowest of the low-hanging fruit. First, cut the sugar and junk carbs because they are massively inflammatory (HERE), and then do an ELIMINATION DIET to figure out whether or not you are sensitive to GLUTEN, NIGHTSHADES, FODMAPS, or who knows what else.

Beyond diet and then dealing with junk like BLACK MOLD, DYSBIOSIS, PARASITES, ALUMINUM or OTHER METALS, or numerous others, a huge driver of inflammation that few people ever contemplate is SYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE as measured in the medical community by something known as HEART RATE VARIABILITY or HRV (HRV is the basis for biofeedback). When the "Sympathetic" side of the ANS or Autonomic Nervous System (the side that controls your fight-or-flight response) is dominant over the "Parasympathetic" side (relaxation and digestion), the body becomes perpetually stimulated into anxiety and the feeling that everything in life is a crisis. It typically also leads to exhausted people who are unable to effectively rest of sleep. Be aware that this is not simply a mind-over-matter issue. It's real, and if you don't figure out how to stop it or at least dramatically slow it down, it will eat your lunch. Allow me to prove it to you by showing you some diseases associated with function of the Autonomic Nervous System (Sympathetic -vs- Parasympathetic). Before we get there, however, you must know just a bit about the Vagus Nerve.

The Vagus Nerve is the 10th Cranial Nerve (CN X), meaning it's one of the 12 nerves that comes directly off of the brain. After leaving the Medulla Oblongota (the area of the brain that controls unconscious activities such as breathing), it exits a tiny hole in the bottom of the skull called the Jugular Foramen, where it runs between the jugular vein and carotid artery (this helps explain the VASOVAGAL RESPONSE that the occasional patient will have in response to SCAR TISSUE REMODELING done in the neck area). From there, the Vagus Nerve winds its way down, controlling all the organs in it's path, down to almost the end of the colon. As for the problems associated with having a an overstimulated SNS (Sympathetic Nervous System) and/or understimulated PNS (Parasympathetic Nervous System), including the Vagus Nerve, they are many and diverse. Also notice that this is a two-way street --- a vicious cycle if you will. A hyped SNS will lead to inflammation, but inflammation leads to a hyped SNS. All research below is cherry-picked due to constraints on both time and space.

WHAT HAPPENS IN VAGUS.........DOESN'T STAY IN VAGUS!

DIABETES AND SUGAR DYSREGULATION: Why do I start here? Because as I've shown you over and over again, most health issues (including ENDOCRINE and CANCER) start with sugar issues --- even in the absence of full-blown DIABETES (which happens to be one of the numerous "inflammatory" diseases). The sugar / sympathetic dominance connection was explored in a study from 1995; that's right, over two decades ago. The journal Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice (Association of Vagal Tone with Serum Insulin, Glucose, and Diabetes Mellitus) concluded that, "Reduced vagal activity assessed by heart rate variability (HRV) has been observed in studies of diabetics. This first population-based study on this subject confirmed that diabetics have significantly lower vagal activity than non-diabetics. In individuals not diagnosed as diabetics, serum insulin, and, to a lesser degree, serum glucose were inversely associated with vagal function, suggesting a role in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy." What's this really saying? That even if you don't yet have a high enough blood sugar level to be "officially" labeled as a diabetic, these higher levels of blood insulin (INSULIN RESISTANCE / PRE-DIABETES) are associated with both lower vagal function and NEUROPATHY. It's why LIVING THE HIGH CARB LIFESTYLE will always catch up with you and make your life suck in the end.

ALLERGIES & ASTHMA: When it comes to ALLERGIES and ASTHMA, this well-bibbed study (Neural Pathways in Allergic Inflammation) from the 2010 issue of the Journal of Allergy is spot on. "It is estimated that approximately one-third of the general population is affected by allergic diseases. Asthma, food allergy, dermatitis, and systemic anaphylaxis are amongst the most common allergic diseases. A plethora of epidemiological and clinical data suggests higher incidence of anxiety and increased emotional reactivity in individuals suffering from allergies. In studies of food allergy, specifically, it has been shown that the prevalence of anxiety or depression is higher in adults with food allergy. In summary, this paper showed that allergic inflammation conveys information to the central nervous system that, in turn, sends information back to the inflammatory site by releasing neural mediators such as acetylcholine." As you'll notice throughout this post, acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter and arguably the biggest regulator of the ANS.

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: Although I have shown you some very cool stuff in regards to RA, the August 2014 issue ofBest Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology published a study called Vagus Nerve Stimulation: A New Bioelectronics Approach to Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis? in which these European authors "discovered that knockdown of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor type 7 (α7nAChR) in RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes results in an increased production of mediators of inflammation and degradation. The α7nAChR is intimately involved in the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP)." In other words, certain specific neurotransmitter receptors for (Ach -- Acetylcholine) are anti-inflammatory. The authors activated these pathways via stimulation of CN X (Vagus Nerve), and then turned around and suppressed them by removing the Vagus Nerve. "Various observational studies have demonstrated that RA patients have lower vagus nerve tone shown by reduced HRV compared to age-matched controls. This phenomenon has also been observed in other autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, and chronic inflammatory bowel diseases.Activation of the vagus nerve, which is a part of the parasympathetic nervous system, was found to dampen inflammatory processes." How freaking big a deal is this bullet point? I'll sum it up with the conclusions of a study from a 2011 issue of Biomed Central (Can Vagus Nerve Stimulation Halt or Ameliorate Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus?). "This implies that therapies directed at regulation of the cholinergic and alpha7nAChR-mediated mechanisms... may halt and/or ameliorate rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and other rheumatological conditions." Are you reading this SF and DH?

ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS: Two years after this, the journal Acta Rheumatology Portugal (Autonomic Functions and their Relations with Disease Activity in Ankylosing Spondylitis) revealed that, "Cholinergic neurons control TNF synthesis by means of acetylcholine (ACH). ACH is the main neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic system. This relation between the autonomic nervous system and immune system has been called the 'cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway'. Inflammatory stimuli stimulate vagal afferents [sensory nerves] and then the hypothalamus [brain]. Experimental stimulation of the vagus caused decreased TNF synthesis in liver, spleen and heart, and serum TNF levels decreased in endotoxemia, ischemia / reperfusion injury and hemorrhagic shock. After vagotomy, animals showed an exaggerated TNF response to an inflammatory stimuli." By the way, TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor) is an extremely potent inflammatory mediator commonly seen in AS.

ARTHRITIS IN GENERAL: A year later, the journal Nature Reviews: Rheumatology published a study called Role of Peripheral Nerve Fibres in Acute and Chronic Inflammation in Arthritis. While this study did not delve as deeply into the whole Vagus Nerve Stimulation thing (VNS) as other studies did, it provided some amazing clarification and insight into what we've been talking about. "During acute inflammation, rapid neuronal reorganization and change of activity takes place. The hallmarks of this process are an increase in systemic sympathetic activity, a decrease in systemic parasympathetic activity and loss of sympathetic nerve fibres from sites of inflammation concomitant with increased innervation with sensory nerve fibres and increased sensory nerve fibre activity. In locally inflamed tissue, the decrease in sympathetic nerve fibre density results in reduced anti-inflammatory signalling and, together with neuropeptides released from sensory nerve fibres, promotes local inflammation." Be aware that this is a vital and necessary thing as inflammation is the primary method of beginning the process of healing damaged tissue of all sorts. "However, in chronic autoimmune inflammation, these changes of the peripheral nervous system lead to an unfavourable situation with ongoing energy reallocation and continuous local destruction. As an example of a chronic inflammatory condition, we discuss evidence for neuroimmune regulation in autoimmune arthritis with a focus on the sympathetic nervous system." Stick around because in just a bit, I am going to show you how to tip the balance of the ANS toward the parasympathetic side. Oh, and for those of you who think you need an x-ray or MRI to see just how much arthritis you have, READ THIS FIRST.

ABNORMAL GUT FUNCTION: The two sides of the "Gut Dysfunctions" coin are dysbiosis (which I've already mentioned) and LEAKY GUT SYNDROME. Also remember that 80% of your entire immune system is in the Gut (HERE). Dr. Esmerij Vander Zanden, a Gastroenterologist / Hepatologist in Amsterdam, wrote a 150 page paper in 2011 called The Vagus Nerve as a Modulator of Intestinal Inflammation, in which she stated, "A decade ago, Borovikova reported that acetylcholine, the principle neurotransmitter of the vagus nerve, can attenuate pro-inflammatory cytokine release... Moreover, they demonstrated that electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve attenuates the systemic inflammatory response... Acetylcholine, the principle neurotransmitter released by the vagus nerve, can exert its anti-inflammatory effect via binding to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), which are expressed on macrophages and other immune cells. The cholinergic nervous system attenuates the production of proinflammatory cytokines and inhibits inflammatory processes. Ingestion of dietary fat stimulates the production of cholecystokinin (CCK), which is a characteristic hormone released during ingestion to trigger several digestive functions including pancreas secretion, and activation of afferent vagus nerve signals to induce satiety [fullness]. Interestingly, a recent study indicated that CCK, released as a result of high-fat nutrition, inhibited hemorrhagic shock-induced TNFα and interleukin-6 release [inflammation]. This anti-inflammatory effect of CCK release is mediated by the vagus nerve. Both acute and chronic exposure to stress can increase epithelial permeability via cholinergic mechanisms. cholinergic stimulation increases epithelial transport by disrupting tight junction integrity [Leaky Gut]. On the other hand, other animal studies show that vagus nerve activity can be protective in maintaining gut barrier function under pathological conditions." This study is a veritable goldmine, and I just barely scratched the surface. Among other things, the good doctor is showing us that a HIGH FAT diet might not be so bad after all (as long as it's based on GOOD FATS), in that it has the potential to stimulate the parasympathetics (PNS) via CCK. The study also discussed the PNS' ability to clear out harmful bacteria. Can anyone say SIBO?

INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE / IBS / SIBO: Speaking of SIBO..... IBS and IBD covers a lot of ground. A two year old study in Frontiers in Immunology (The Neuromodulation of the Intestinal Immune System and Its Relevance in Inflammatory Bowel Disease). After talking at length about the importance of HOMEOSTASIS, these authors stated, "One of the main tasks of the immune system is to discriminate and appropriately react to “danger” or “non-danger” signals. This is crucial in the gastrointestinal tract, where the immune system is confronted with a myriad of food antigens and symbiotic microflora that are in constant contact with the mucosa, in addition to any potential pathogens. This large number of antigens and commensal microflora, which are essential for providing vital nutrients, must be tolerated by the intestinal immune system to prevent aberrant inflammation. In order to maintain homeostasis, the immune system has diverse regulatory strategies including additional non-immunological actors able to control the immune response. Accumulating evidence strongly indicates a bidirectional link between the two systems in which the brain modulates the immune response via the detection of circulating cytokines and via direct afferent input from sensory fibers and from enteric neurons." This is cool because it's talking about the continuum between the brain, the ENTERIC NERVOUS SYSTEM (about 90% of the Vagus' traffic to the brain is from the ENS), the MICROBIOME, and cytokines / inflammation. What did these authors talk about as a potential solution? Among other things the stated, "we and others have extended the concept of the vagal anti-inflammatory pathway to the GI tract by showing the beneficial effect of electrical VNS......" What if there were ways to stimulate the Vagus Nerve without invasive surgical implants?

AUTISM: Over the years I've written a heck of a lot of articles pertaining to AUTISM. What seems to be the common denominator? Two things; issues with GUT HEALTH and inflammation (debate abounds about where said inflammation comes from --- i.e. VACCINES). In the March 2011 of Neuropsychology Reviews (The Immune System’s Moderating Response to Inflammation Relieves Autistic Behavior: Response to Peter Good) the authors talked about why autistic behavior tends to improve when these kids have a FEVER. Of course it boiled down to inflammation ("absent inflammation, heat stress does not improve behavior in autism."), but listen to what the authors concluded. "The inflammatory reaction with its sympathetic activation is buffered by the vagal cholinergic anti-inflammatory system (CAIS). Electrical vagal stimulation is used to treat inflammatory diseases, including depression, which features neuroinflammation. Vagal stimulation also increases heart rate variability, as autonomic tone veers from sympathetic toward parasympathetic dominance. In controlling inflammation and sympathetic predominance, the CAIS may lower arousal level. Much autistic behavior appears to be a compensatory reaction to chronic pathologically heightened arousal. Vargas discovered neuroinflammation in people with autism, both in vivo and at autopsy. An outpouring of cytokines from activated microglia, the CNS counterparts of macrophages, involves the excessive release of glutamate, the preponderant excitatory neurotransmitter, increasing the brain activation toward hyperarousal." Although they were not mentioned by these authors; besides staying away from known exciteotoxins such as MSG and ASPARTAME (not to mention consuming anti-inflammatory diets like PALEO or GAPS), there are certain things that might make a real difference for those with autism. These authors mentioned Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS). Dr. Stephen Porges has some extremely cool info on this topic as well. Oh, and don't forget Microglial Activation as we will deal with it two bullets down.

DEPRESSION: Although this study acted more like a commercial for SSRI ANTIDEPRESSANTS, a 2008 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation (Impaired Parasympathetic Function Increases Susceptibility to Inflammatory Bowel Disease in a Mouse Model of Depression) concluded that (notice once again the link to Gut Health), "Evidence indicates that intestinal inflammatory conditions can be exacerbated by behavioral conditions such as depression. We recently provided proof of concept that depressive-like behavior is associated with an exaggerated response to inflammatory stimuli in the gut. The recent demonstration of a tonic counter-inflammatory influence mediated by the vagus nerve in experimental colitis provides a potential link between behavior and gut inflammation. Depression results in autonomic imbalance, with impaired parasympathetic functions and a dominant sympathetic drive, contributing to cardiac pathophysiology. The notion that depression is associated with parasympathetic dysfunction has led to the exploitation of vagal electrical stimulation as a novel treatment for refractory depression." None of this should come as a total shock considering DEPRESSION is one of the myriad of diseases that fall under the category of "inflammatory".

CHRONIC FATIGUE AND PTSD: An article from the site Healing Histamine (Harvard Neuroscientist Dr. Michael Van Elzakker: Chronic Fatigue Vagus Nerve Link) expounds on this, sounding at times like the awesome histamine / inflammation / microbiome researcher, DR. ART AYERS. Listen to what Dr. E says as it relates to infections of the Vagus Nerve. "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a neurological condition. It’s a disease that one of the main symptoms is a long-lasting, severe fatigue. Again, this is medical fatigue. It’s not the kind of fatigue that I have after a day at work where I need to just recharge for a few minutes. there are a lot of pathogens that really like nerve tissue. That includes chicken pox, the herpes zoster virus, Epstein-Barr, HHV-6, some kinds of enterovirus, even the Lyme bacteria is a bacteria that really likes nerve tissue. I would say, not coincidentally, all of those are also pathogens that are linked to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. All of us have herpes viruses in our body. More than 90 percent of human beings have more than one strain. Chicken pox, HSV-1, the simplex. We’re all walking around with these viruses in our bodies, but most of the time, they’re latent. People may have had the experience when they start to get a cold or a flu and they get a little cold sore on their tongue, that means when you’re immuno-compromised, these herpes viruses can come back out of latency." He goes on to talk about GLIAL CELL ACTIVATION and tons of other cool stuff. How big a deal is this? Take a look at my response to a physician who contacted me about some chronic issues that had to do with EBV (there are many physicians who believe that occult EBV (Epstein Barr Virus) or CMV (Cytomegalo Virus) --- both of which are of the herpes family and are the cause of mono --- are the root of any number of other chronic illnesses (HERE).

TINNITUS: Tinnitus, or ringing in the ear, affects between 10 and 15% of the population. More studies are underway after initial research showed that Vagus Nerve Stimulation reduced tinnitus by as much as 50%. Remember that "itis" = inflammation.

REFLEX SYMPATHETIC DYSTROPHY / COMPLEX REGIONAL PAIN SYNDROME: CRPS (it used to be called RSD) is nasty stuff. Listen to what Wikipedia says. "CRPS is a long term pain syndrome that often worsens with time. It is characterized by severe pain that's out of proportion to the original injury and often accompanied by sensitivity, swelling, and changes in the skin. It may initially affect one limb and then spread throughout the body; 35% of affected people report symptoms throughout their whole body. The cause of CRPS is unknown though it is associated with dysregulation of the central nervous system and autonomic nervous system, resulting in abnormal temperature control and pain of the affected limb(s), leading to functional impairment and disability. Precipitating factors include injury and surgery." Want a good reason to keep your body inflammation-free? CRPS! "Clinical features of CRPS have been found to be inflammation....." South of us in Fayeteville Arkansas is the office of Functional Neurologist, Dr. Katinka van der Merwe, who specializes in treating people with CRPS. Listen to what she says in an article on RSD dot org called Putting Out the Fire: A Brand New Approach to Treating RSD/CRPS. "One of the first techniques I learned centered around restoring balance to the Autonomic (automatic) nervous system, specifically the Vagus nerve. The Central Nervous System (CNS) is the system that runs everything in your body. It controls movement, function, your immune system, and pain. It also controls healing. The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is a subsystem of the CNS. It is the part of your brain that runs everything automatically, without you having to think about it. It is divided into the Sympathetic (fight or flight) Nervous system (SNS), and the Parasympathetic (rest or digest) nervous system (PNS). The SNS is responsible for saving our lives when we are being attacked. It is vital, but not overly concerned with healing, sexual function, digesting food, or relaxing. The PNS is. The one thing every CRPS patient has in common is that they are stuck in Sympathetic overdrive, meaning, instead of their nervous system being nicely balanced between these two states, they are stuck in Sympathetic overdrive. This often happens long before they ever develop CRPS." What's she doing? Among other things, she's treating these people with Frequency Specific Microcurrent, something I have been using in my clinic since 1991 (Mens-O-Matic).

HEART DISEASE / HEART FAILURE: A study published in a 2013 issue of Annals of Thoracic Surgery (Cardiac Autonomic Nerve Stimulation in the Treatment of Heart Failure) had some interesting things to say on this subject. After revealing that, "Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide," and then talking about numerous medical interventions (mostly drugs and surgery), these authors made a confession of sorts when they revealed that drugs and surgery don't work very well (something confirmed by a comment from a cardiologist near the bottom of YESTERDAY'S POST). "Currently available HF (heart failure) therapies have limited efficacy." So, listen to what they suggest instead. "HF pathophysiology is associated with neurohormonal activation of the sympathetic nervous system, resulting in increased plasma levels of... inflammatory biomarkers and cytokines increase (tumor necrosis factor and C-reactive protein), as do markers of systemic and cardiac oxidant stress. Use of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) as a medical therapy to counter sympathetic nervous system activation in HF has yielded encouraging results. It is clear that optimal cardiac neurostimulation therapy varies, based on the type and severity of HF and on the individual balance of sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic activity." Things that make you go hmmmm.

CANCER: Less than a year ago, Dr. Grace Bullock published an article reviewing some studies on ANS dysregulation as related to CANCER (specifically BREAST CANCER) in an article called Vagus Nerve Activity May Impact Cancer Prognosis. Listen to her conclusions. "To date, cancer prognoses have largely been determined by tumor stage, age, genetic expression, inflammatory parameters and organ functioning. Now, new research suggests that vagal nerve activity may also predict survival in patients with metastatic or recurrent breast cancer more reliably than cancer stage alone. It has been proposed that high vagal tone may slow down tumor growth because it inhibits mechanisms responsible for tumor progression including oxidative stress, inflammation and excessive sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation. In addition the vagus nerve also innervates major visceral organs where many cancers develop, including the lungs, gut, pancreas and colon." She then goes on to talk about low HRV seen in Cancer patients, which is the classic marker for Sympathetic Dominance, as well as mentioning some things that can be done to stimulate the Vagus Nerve and tip the ANS toward parasympathetic dominance.

HPA AXIS DISRUPTION, TISSUE DEGENERATION, AND AUTOIMMUNITY: The December 2014 issue of the Journal of Arthritis Research Therapy provided an amazing study about the way this all relates to the HPA AXIS called The Sympathetic Nervous Response in Inflammation, which reviewed over 100 other studies on the topic. Listen to these cherry-picked conclusions. "Inflammation causes increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) Upon initiating an inflammatory process, the body adopts an ‘inflammatory configuration’ with increased systemic SNS and HPA axis activity. This reaction can be interpreted as an ‘energy appeal reaction’ resulting in the provision of enough energy-rich fuels, like glucose and free fatty acids, to fulfill the needs of an activated immune system." What the authors are talking about here is the ADRENAL GLANDS kicking in to boost production of cortisol --- the stress hormone, whose purpose is simply to jack your blood sugar as quickly as possible. While in the right circumstances, this is normal physiology, when people become stressed out emotionally, mentally, physically, dietarily, etc, bad things happen hormonally and immunologically. "If inflammation becomes chronic, as in chronic inflammatory illness [HERE is a list of them], the system changes into a ‘chronic inflammatory condition’ that is characterized by increased activity of the HPA axis without immunosuppression. If a ‘chronic inflammatory configuration’ persists, as in autoimmunity, the effects are detrimental because of the persistently increased SNS activity, HPA activity, and the resultant chronic catabolic state." In other words, your body is constantly "suppressing" or dampening your immune system responses to keep it from attacking itself (AUTOIMMUNITY). Rampant inflammation from any source, including Sympathetic Dominance, potentially leads to a freaky number of Autoimmune Diseases (HERE is a list of some of the more common ones) as well as living in a "catabolic state" (your body breaking itself down) because it hinders the body's ability to regulate (dampen / soften) immune system responses.

OTHERS: Honestly, there are too many others to mention, with two of the biggies being ﻿FIBROMYALGIA﻿ and MIGRAINE HEADACHES right at the forefront (see Vagus Nerve and Vagus Nerve Stimulation, a Comprehensive Review: Part I, II, and III) in last March's issue of Headache.

TIPPING THE BALANCE FROM SYMPATHETICDOMINANCE TO PARASYMPATHETIC DOMINANCEDIY TRICKS FOR VAGUS NERVE STIMULATION

Radziszewski.Marek

"Inflammatory responses play a central role in the development and persistence of many diseases and can lead to debilitating chronic pain. In many cases, inflammation is your body's response to stress. Therefore, reducing 'fight-or-flight' responses in the nervous system and lowering biological markers for stress can also reduce inflammation. Typically, doctors prescribe medications to combat inflammation. However, there's growing evidence that another way to combat inflammation is by engaging the vagus nerve and improving 'vagal tone.'"The opening paragraph of Christopher Bergland's article in one of last summers issues of Psychology Today (Vagus Nerve Stimulation Dramatically Reduces Inflammation)

"The ventral vagal system is involved with most aspects of social contact and pleasure. It guides eye contact, hearing, eating, speech, singing, nursing, kissing, smiling, and some would say, direct heart to heart contact. The social engagement system is a two way interaction system (receptive and expressive) based mainly in the eyes, ears, larynx, and mouth, but incorporating the entire face and the torso above the diaphragm. All twelve cranial nerves participate in the social and expressive functions. However, only four of these nerves have both motor (efferent) and sensory (afferent) functions. They are the trigeminal, facial, glossopharyngeal, and the vagus. Interestingly enough, it is also these four, along with the oculomotor nerve, that carry most of the parasympathetic fibers involved in the cranial nerve system!" From Michael Samsel's Finding Feeling and Purpose

"The sympathetic and parasympathetic components of the autonomic nervous system control and regulate the function of various organs, glands, and involuntary muscles throughout the body (e.g., vocalization, swallowing, heart rate, respiration, gastric secretion, and intestinal motility). The vagus nerve is a mixed nerve composed of 20% “efferent” fibers (sending signals from the brain to the body) and 80% “afferent” (sensory) fibers (carrying information from the body to the brain). The vagus nerve is a major component of the autonomic nervous system, has an important role in the regulation of metabolic homeostasis, and plays a key role in the neuroendocrine-immune axis to maintain homeostasis through its afferent and efferent pathways. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) refers to any technique that stimulates the vagus nerve, including manual or electrical stimulation." Dr. Robert Howland from his 2014 study published in Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports (Vagus Nerve Stimulation).

Did you catch the last sentence of Dr. H's statement above? Re-read it. In essence, what Howland is saying is that you don't necessarily need to have a Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS) surgically implanted into your body (chest) to activate your vagus nerve. (For the record, there are several devices that work transcutaneously in similar fashion to a TENS unit, which don't require surgery, although some require a prescription from a physician.) Bottom line, there are some simple DIY things that have the ability to stimulate the Vagus Nerve, and at least in theory, create an anti-inflammatory effect, helping tip your ANS away from the fight-or-flight sympathetics, toward the rest-and-digest parasympathetics. For the record, none of this is new. These are things that the brilliant Functional Neurologist, DR. TED CARRICK, was teaching over three decades ago (and touted by the equally brilliant DR. KHARRAZIAN in the video above).

GARGLING OR GAGGING: Either of these activities (gagging is not so much an activity as it is a reflex) are neurologically controlled by the Vagus Nerve. Just be aware that this is the sort of full-on kind of thing you might want to do while in the shower, as you need to be intense enough to make yourself tear if possible (watch the video above). Also, because the Vagus is one of the six Cranial Nerves used in swallowing, if you are alone and in your car, repeatedly making the "GULP SOUND" could prove beneficial as well. I also found several studies showing that chewing gum can be beneficial as far as VNS is concerned. Want to see the best and easiest way to gag (as well as laugh, which is also a PNS stimulant)? Watch THIS HILARIOUS FAMILY-FRIENDLY VIDEO.

HUMMING, SPEAKING, SINGING, TALKING: Not only are these activities typically associated with relaxation, they stimulate the Vagus Nerve because the vocal cords are innervated by the recurrent laryngeal and superior laryngeal nerves, which are branches of the Vagus Nerve. As far as listening to music, the studies I looked at seemed to be a wash. I did, however, find a study showing that New Age music decreased sympathetic response by about a third --- maybe it's why I've always liked ENYA so much.

AVOID SUGAR AND JUNK CARBS / CONSUME A HEALTHY DIET: A cruddy diet is an ANS disaster! Why do people get ADDICTED TO sugar, soda, junk carbs etc? Research has shown they have drug-like properties that are more powerful than cocaine or methamphetamine. One of the reasons is that the these metabolic pathways crank the adrenals, providing a short-term boost of energy (can anyone say Energy Drink?), while actually burning out these organs and glandular systems. For instance, if I eat very many carbs, my heart races. Can anyone say fight-or-flight? Just remember that because sympathetic stimulation tends to increase inflammation, and inflammation tends to increase sympathetic tone (the self-perpetuating cycle we spoke of earlier), diet can be a beautiful way to help balance the ANS. There are mountains of online information about what foods to eat and what foods to avoid. A simple rule of thumb, however, is that SUGAR IS INCREDIBLY INFLAMMATORY, while ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIETS tend to tip your ANS away from sympathetic control, toward the PNS. There are also a number of studies showing that VARIOUS FORMS OF FASTING can be beneficial. Another thing to at least contemplate is a KETOGENIC DIET. Why? Take a look at the results of this study (Short-Chain Fatty acids and Ketones Directly Regulate Sympathetic Nervous System...) published in a 2011 issue of PNAS. "Under ketogenic conditions, ketone bodies produced in the liver from fatty acids are used as the main energy sources. To balance energy intake, dietary excess and starvation trigger an increase or a decrease in energy expenditure, respectively, by regulating the activity of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Here, we show that SCFAs and ketone bodies directly regulate SNS activity via GPR41, a protein-coupled receptor for SCFAs, at the level of the sympathetic ganglion. A ketone body, β-hydroxybutyrate, suppressed SNS activity by antagonizing GPR41. These findings establish that SCFAs and ketone bodies directly regulate GPR41-mediated SNS activity..."

OMEGA THREE FATTY ACIDS: It's fairly simple folks; fat is good for you --- even (gulp) animal fat --- as long as it's the right kind of animal fat (HERE). Allow me to show you something that's super cool. If you cruise on over to Oil of Pisces or PubMed, you'll notice that there are dozens of studies on EPA / DHA (the active Omega-3 oils) for treating people with various sorts of arrhythmias (problems with hear rate --- can anyone say HRV?). Not surprisingly, a 2006 issue of Vascular Health and Risk Management (A Review of Omega-3 Ethyl Esters for Cardiovascular Prevention and Treatment of Increased Blood Triglyceride Levels) let the cat out of the bag by revealing "The two marine omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), prevalent in fish and fish oils, have been investigated...... Pro-atherogenic cytokines are reduced, as are markers of endothelial activation. Endothelial function is improved, vascular occlusion is reduced, and the course of coronary atherosclerosis is mitigated. Heart rate is reduced, and heart rate variability is increased by EPA and DHA. An antiarrhythmic effect can be demonstrated on the supraventricular and the ventricular level." Less inflammation, lower heart rate, increased HRV. It's a pretty darn good combination. But these don't necessarily have to come from fish. Around here, farm eggs (high in Omega-3's) can be purchased just about anywhere. As for meat that's high in Omega-3's, hunt your own deer (HERE), or get your meat / poultry from the Clucks, Frescolns, Protivas, or Clingmans.

GUT HEALTH: When it comes to health, the Gut is everything. It houses the biggest part of your immune system (80%), and makes something like 90% of your body's serotonin / melotonin (HERE). And that's just for starters. If your Gut is screwed up, you are going to have all sorts of health issues. All sorts. Period. Issues that can neurologically reflex back to the brain via the Vagus Nerve. It's why I continue to beat the twin drums (call them bongos if you want) of GUT HEALTH and FECAL MICROBIOTA TRANSPLANTS (FMT). For those of you who think this bullet is as easy as simply taking some probiotics, you might want to read THIS POST.

COLD SHOWERS / COLD BATHS / COLD WATER ON THE FACE: Exposure to cold water causes the body to kick in its anti-drowning self-preservation machinery (the "Diving Reflex") by slowing the heart rate and generally increasing vagal / parasympathetic tone. And for you guys reading this, exposing the jewels to cold water can be a great TESTOSTERONE BOOSTER as well. Between the parasympathetic boost from the cold water (stick around and you'll see that sex is mostly a parasympathetic function) and the testosterone boost from the cold water, it's no wonder that the CURRENT RIVER has been known to provide "Super Powers".

DEEP BREATHING USING THE DIAPHRAGM: There are essentially three types of breathing; ACCESSORY BREATHING done with the neck and shoulders, chest breathing, and deep breathing that comes from the belly or diaphragm. Deep Breathing generally involves slowing your rate of respiration to about half of normal, using your stomach / diaphragm, and making sure you exhale slowly. Along these same lines, restricting your breath and bearing down like you are on the toilet (a Valsalva Maneuver --- something we use to give us an idea whether or not a disc might be herniated) can be of benefit as well. I have actually seen devices that purposefully restrict breathing for this very purpose. Although the diaphragm itself is innervated by the Phrenic Nerve (from the mid-cervical spine), the Vagus Nerve passes through it, which typically indicates some degree of neurological control. There is a COOL LITTLE E-BOOK on Amazon by computer guru, Michael Phoenix, that you can look at as well (The Theory of Body Integration & the One Minute Workout). Let's be honest; who in their right mind would not want to know about a one-minute workout? Besides dealing with breathing, Michael's book focuses on PROPRIOCEPTION as well, which brings me to my next point.

EXERCISE / YOGA / STRETCHING / TAI CHI / MOVING: I will warn you, there are many types of exercise that stimulate the sympathetics as opposed to the parasympathetics. It's probably why when I head into the gym (at least to WHEN IT COMES TO STRENGTH TRAINING), I'm listening to THIS, THIS, THIS, THISTHIS, or even THIS or THIS (instead of Enya, THIS, THIS, or THIS) in order to temporarily crank my energy levels by juicing my sympathetics. Because so much proprioception is on or near the spine, CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS, various sorts of body work, or even Tissue Remodeling (see last the link in the previous bullet) have great potential to be helpful as well. Although I do not do it in my clinic, a significant number of natural healers (including chiros -- especially those doing Ulan's work) actually measure the effects of their treatment via HRV --- the medical standard for determining the state of the ANS. A high HRV is good, indicating parasympathetic dominance, while a low HRV shows sympathetic dominance. Again, HRV the basis for biofeedback.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR THORACOLUMBAR SPINE: The first video in this post ("Crash Course" videos are incredible and I highly recommend you take the eight minutes or so to watch it) mentions that the sympathetic nervous system originates in the THORACOLUMBAR SPINE. In essence, this means that if you have FASCIAL ADHESIONS in this area, you are not only likely causing pain, you are likely perpetually stimulating your sympathetics to some degree or other. Once things get real bad (like say failed back surgery syndrome), this effect can actually start to inhibit sympathetics (like HERE). However, for the average, everyday, run-of-the-mill chronic low back pain person, you are likely stimulating your SNS via this ultra-common dysfunction.

POSITIVE THINKING, LOVE, LAUGHTER, AND RELATIONSHIPS: Proverbs 23:7 says, "For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." Thoughts are real and they have consequences --- something that one of my coaches is always talking about (HERE). I'll throw prayer and meditation into this bullet as well, as there are plenty of studies showing that they also increase vagal tone and HRV. On the other hand, are you stimulating your sympathetics with an addiction to PORN OR SCREENS? Stop it already! And what about love? Four years ago, eight researchers from the University of North Carolina published a study in Psychological Science (How Positive Emotions Build Physical Health: Perceived Positive Social Connections Account for the Upward Spiral Between Positive Emotions and Vagal Tone) in which they talked about a very cool self-perpetuating cycle. "participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group that self-generated positive emotions via loving-kindness meditation or to a waiting-list control group. Participants in the intervention group increased in positive emotions relative to those in the control group, an effect moderated by baseline vagal tone, a proxy index of physical health. Increased positive emotions, in turn, produced increases in vagal tone, an effect mediated by increased perceptions of social connections. This experimental evidence identifies one mechanism-perceptions of social connections-through which positive emotions build physical health, indexed as vagal tone. Results suggest that positive emotions, positive social connections, and physical health influence one another in a self-sustaining upward-spiral dynamic." If you did not grasp the amazing implication of this paragraph, re-read it until you do. One of the coolest relationships my family is currently developing is with THIS AMAZING LOCAL MINISTRY to trafficked women and girls.

SEX: Hopefully for you, this bullet goes along with the previous bullet. Although both sides of the ANS (the PNS and the SNS) are used in sex, THIS CHAPTER of the book Neuroscience (Autonomic Regulation of Sexual Function) shows that even though it can certainly get your heart racing, sex is much more a function of the PNS than the SNS. This is why the PNS is often times called the "feed and breed" portion of the ANS. I'm not sure I can think of a better way to stimulate the parasympthetics!

ACUPUNCTURE: Having been certified in acupuncture since 1992, even though I do little of it any more (unless it's with my microcurrent unit), some of the wildest and most amazing things I've ever seen in the field of natural health were accomplished using acupuncture. There are tons of articles on using acupuncture to tone down the Vagus Nerve, and many DIY videos on YouTube on hitting certain points with simulators (hand-held sparkers) to increase PNS tone.

MASSAGE OR RUBBING THE SIDES OF YOUR OWN NECK: When it comes to relaxation, why does massage or rubbing the sides of the neck work so well beyond the mechanical and proprioceptive aspect of rubbing the tissue? Can anyone say VASO-VAGAL RESPONSE?

GET AN HRV APP FOR YOUR PHONE: Because HRV has been the standard for testing the ANS for decades, and because apps for your phone are abundant (and in many cases, free), consider tracking your HRV. Also, there are a growing number of electrical VNS devices on the market as well, many that do not require surgery. No, I cannot vouch for the veracity of any of them.

OTHERS: This list is by no means the last word. However, it will provide you a good starting point.

Today's post is just one aspect of what it might take to reclaim your health start taking your life back. If you want to see a post that contains the whole enchilada, take a look at THIS. Nope; I'm not telling you it's a cure-all. But before you spend a bundle with a SPECIALIST IN FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE, realize that this simple protocol has a great potential to effectively address your problems and save you a bundle in the process!

HEART RATE VARIABILITYWHY IS SYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE RELATED TO SUCH A WIDE VARIETY OF HEALTH ISSUES

The HYPOTHALAMUS is a small part of your brain responsible for a lot of big things. Among others, it helps regulate the part of your nervous system that deals with unconscious (or "automatic") bodily functions such as heart beat, respiration, blood pressure, and digestion known as the Autonomic Nervous System. The Autonomic Nervous System comes in two different flavors --- Sympathetic and Parasympathetic.

The Sympathetic Nervous System is your "fight or flight" system, whose chief neurotransmitter is epinephrine (previously known as adrenaline). On the other side of the coin is the Parasympathetic Nervous System, which is related to rest, relaxation, and digestion. These two systems should work in tandem, creating the balanced state of being we call HOMEOSTASIS, with, as you might guess from what you've already learned, the parasympathetic system being the dominant system. But what happens if Parasympathetic Dominance is reversed?

Imagine for a moment that instead of the Parasympathetic Nervous System spending most of the time in the body's driver's seat, the Sympathetic Nervous System were running the show. Instead of a body living in a generally relaxed state; digesting well, pumping blood via low pressure, with a heart rate that only speeds up when needed, you have a body existing in a perpetually hyped state. Always hungry but never satisfied. Always exhausted but never able to sleep. Heart always racing, but unable to physically exert. Wanting to have an orgasm, but unable to become sexually aroused. Such is the nature of SYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE.

Don't get me wrong; we all need some 'hype' (stress) in our lives. Our response to stress (mechanical, physical, emotional, etc) is what makes us grow and develop both neurologically and physically. Without some degree of stress, life would be rather dull and our brains and bodies would not get the stimulation required to keep them functioning properly and plastic. What we don't need, however, is dis-stress --- ramped-up, over-the-top stress that sends our pulses racing and our blood pressures skyrocketing; often times not because of anything having to do with reality, but from things we are thinking (worrying) about.

George Billman

The function of the Autonomic Nervous System (sympathetic -vs- parasympathetic) is measured via something called HRV (Heart Rate Variability). Also known as 'Cycle Length Variability,' this simple test has been the standard for determining the state of the Autonomic Nervous System (Parasympathetic -vs- Sympathetic) for decades, both in mainstream medicine and alternative medicine (DR. ROYAL LEE was a big advocate). Heart Rate Variability is simply the variability or difference between the peeks seen on an EKG. Bear in mind that this is not a measurement of a variation on the height of the peeks (intensity of the heart beat), but in the distance between the peeks (frequency).

In other words, Heart Rate Variability measures one's ability to rapidly (milliseconds) increase or decrease one's pulse rate in response to stress or changes in environment. Just remember that the faster your body can vary your rate (high variability) is good, indicating you lean toward the parasympathetic side of things. Likewise, a low variability indicates Sympathetic Dominance (see EKG above for example of HRV).

Before we discuss what it will take to solve this all-too-common-but-rarely-talked-about problem of Sympathetic Dominance, let's take a moment and look at some studies on the subject. For the record, you will frequently see the VAGUS NERVE (Cranial Nerve Ten --- always denoted as CN X) mentioned when discussing this topic. The Vagus comes directly off the brain and helps control parasympathetic response in your organs all the way down to the bottom part of the colon. Other areas of parasympathetic nervous control come from the lower brain / brainstem area, as well as the sacrum (tailbone) area. Sympathetic response originates mostly in between these --- in the thoracic spine.

Geo-Science International

"In a constantly stressed state, vessels adapt to constriction, becoming muscular and therefore maintaining an extremely narrow diameter, requiring larger amounts of blood to be pumped through them naturally increasing blood pressure. Appetite suppression is a common symptom of sympathetic dominance. Have you ever noticed at work you can go hours on end working on an important pressure packed project without eating much of anything at all? Low libido and arousal are other symptoms of sympathetic dominance. It is not uncommon for older males in very stressful professions to suffer from low testosterone, both men and women can suffer from low estrogen levels which is an antioxidant preventing a number of cardio vascular diseases and atherosclerosis. Due to the seemingly never ending supply of cortisol mobilized glucose, many sympathetic dominant people will retain “stubborn belly fat” as a result. People with stressful, low ranking jobs or stay-at-home parents are at much higher risk of developing health issues related to stress induced sympathetic dominance."Cherry-picked from Mike Writter's post on the venerable paleo expert Robb Wolf's site (Winning The Olimbic Games: Are you on Team Sympathetic or Team Parasympathetic?)

One of the most fascinating studies I found had to do with BLOOD PRESSURE. If you simply look at the chart above, you'll notice that blood pressure is increased by your Sympathetic Nervous System. Now listen to this startling admission from the December 2010 issue of the Applied Journal of Physiology (Chronic Activation of the Sympathetic Nervous System is the Dominant Contributor to Systemic Hypertension). "For the past three decades, the renin-angiotensin system has been the major focus in high blood pressure research. The proven value of antihypertensive drugs that block this system has deflected research from other blood pressure-raising systems, including the sympathetic nervous system. Despite this, undeniable evidence exists for the importance of chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system in the pathogenesis of both experimental and human hypertension." Interesting, but get a load of this cherry-picked statement showing what actually causes the Sympathetic Dominance that in turn causes hypertension. "The case appears strongest in the experimental overfeeding models of obesity-hypertension. Overfeeding in rats, dogs, and rabbits consistently increases body weight, sympathetic nervous activity, and blood pressure, the activation of the renal sympathetic outflow being particularly prominent."

Another extremely fascinating study had to do with DEPRESSION. The January 2015 issue of Progress in Neuropsychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry (Reactive Heart Rate Variability in Male Patients with First-Episode Major Depressive Disorder) concluded that, "We suggest that in patients with major depressive disorder, autonomic system shifts to sympatheticdominance at rest but toward parasympathetic dominance in response to stress." This is exactly opposite of what would be considered normal physiology. These people live in a physiologically cranked up internal environment --- until they run into a fight-or-flight situation. Only then does their body switch (incorrectly) to parasympathetic control.

The November 2013 issue of the Oxford Journal of Clinical Endocrinology (Obesity is Associated with an Altered Autonomic Nervous System Response to Nutrient Restriction) concluded that in obese people, "In the obese group, autonomic nervous system tone shifted to sympatheticdominance. After an average weight-loss of 13.8 kg in obese subjects, a trend for sympatheticdominance was found. Our data show that a 48-hour fast leaves autonomic nervous system balance unaltered in lean subjects. In contrast, a 48-hour fast, as well as weight-loss, induces sympatheticdominance in obese humans." This data certainly makes you want to study FASTING a bit more --- particularly skipping a meal.

Remember THE POST from a couple of weeks ago dealing with the epidemic of video game and porn addiction in young men; hooked to the point they were neither working / going to school, nor entering into fulfilling interpersonal relationships? A study that could easily piggyback on that topic comes from the February 2010 issue of Cardiology in the Young (Associations Between Being Overweight, Variability in Heart Rate, and Well-Being in Young Men). In this study, "data from 786 men with a mean age of 19.4 years (age range from 16 to 24 years) were analyzed in a cross-sectional study: body mass index, sleep duration, sporting activities, psychological well-being, blood pressure, heart rate, and variability in heart rate. Despite the young age of the men in this study, increased values for the body mass index were already associated with a shift in sympathovagal balance trending towards sympatheticdominance. Even in young men, being overweight is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, especially an increased sympathetic and/or lowered cardiovascular tone and increased blood pressure. Our study gives additional motivation for the early prevention and treatment of obesity in childhood and adolescence." Unfortunately, when the medical community talks about PREVENTION and treatment, they are usually talking about drugs since we have seen that PSA's and 'Health Campaigns' are rather a waste of time and money (HERE).

Exercise presents an interesting dichotomy when it comes to the Autonomic Nervous System. It is one area that people try and actually induce Sympathetic Dominance for a specific result (a more intense workout or better athletic performance) for a short duration. This is why some people with ADRENAL FATIGUE will continue exercising so hard even though it is contributing to their demise, as it is one of the only things that perks them up and gives them a shot of energy (albeit short-lived). In this 2005 study from the Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine we can see this from looking at the study's title --- Music Can Enhance Exercise-Induced Sympathetic Dominancy Assessed by Heart Rate Variability). Why do you think that prior to their games, virtually every athlete you see on TV has his headset on? "Combining music with exercise is therefore not only enjoyable in terms of mood but also may promote physiological excitation and enhance physical activation."

In this study on DIABETES as it relates to both NEUROPATHY and EXERCISE, the February 2010 issue of the Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (Increase in the Heart Rate Variability with Deep Breathing in Diabetic Patients After 12-Month Exercise Training) concluded that, "Autonomic neuropathy in diabetes leads to impaired regulation of blood pressure and heart rate variability (HRV), which is due to a shift in cardiac autonomic balance towards sympathetic dominance. Lower HRV has been considered a predictor of cardiac mortality and morbidity. Regular exercise training increases HRV, suggesting a shift in the cardiac sympathovagal balance in favor of parasympathetic dominance in diabetic patients. Long-term physical training may be an effective means to reverse the autonomic dysregulation seen in type 2 diabetes."

What about Yoga as exercise, particularly as it relates to CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN? August's issue of BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine (Heart Rate Variability in Chronic Low Back Pain Patients Randomized to Yoga or Standard Care) helped answer that question by concluding that, "Chronic pain can alter the autonomic balance with increased sympathetic activity. The results suggest that yoga practice can shift the autonomic balance towards vagal dominance in patients with chronic low back pain associated with altered alignment of intervertebral discs." One more thing to add to my FIX YOUR OWN BACK PAIN post. HERE'S another study on HRV and Chronic Pain added after the fact.

The July issue of the Annals of Neuroscience (Heart Rate Variability in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Pilot Study) revealed that, "Attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood neuropsychiatric disorder. There is autonomic dysfunction in children with ADHD - reduction in overall HRV with sympathovagal imbalance with sympatheticdominance." With ADHD, we should not be surprised at this result.

A 2015 issue of the journal COPD (Cardiac Sympathetic Dominance and Systemic Inflammation in COPD) revealed the relationship between Sympathetic Dominance and the extremely common lung problem COPD / Emphysema. "As both autonomic dysfunction and systemic inflammation may contribute to cardiovascular morbidity in COPD, we hypothesized that these may be associated". More than you knew as we will see in a moment. "The heart rate was significantly higher in patients indicating an overall sympathetic dominance and was inversely correlated with diffusion capacity. Serum IL-6 [a marker for inflammation] was inversely correlated with pNN50, an index of parasympathetic activity... It was concluded that patients with COPD have.... sympathetic dominance. This is associated with decreased lung diffusion capacity and systemic inflammation." Pay attention as we start getting into this whole "SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION" thing.

Not surprisingly, other topics of studies I found related to Sympathetic Dominance included, PTSD, REPRODUCTION & SEXUAL AROUSAL, CIGARETTE SMOKE, SPINAL SURGERY, as well as a myriad of others. Here's the kicker. We should not be surprised at any of this, as there are dozens of studies linking INFLAMMATION itself (as we see in the study above) --- the cause of virtually allNON-GENETIC health problems --- to decreased Heart Rate Variability

One year ago this month, Brain Behavior and Immunity (Heart RateVariability Predicts Levels of Inflammatory Markers: Evidence for the Vagal Anti-Inflammatory Pathway) concluded that, "Evidence from numerous animal models shows that vagal activity regulates inflammatory responses by decreasing cytokine [an inflammatory marker] release. Heart ratevariability (HRV) is a reliable index of cardiac vagal regulation and should be inversely related to levels of inflammatory markers. Inflammation is also regulated by sympathetic inputs. We analyzed the relationship between 6 inflammatory markers and HRV. After controlling for sympathetic effects, HRV was found to be inversely associated with fibrinogen, CRP and IL-6. We did not observe consistent sex differences. These results support the existence of the vagal anti-inflammatory pathway and suggest that it has similar effects in men and women." In other words, high HRV, low inflammation; low HRV, high inflammation. For the record, fibrinogen is one of the intermediates in the whole INFLAMMATION ALWAYS LEADS TO FIBROSIS / SCAR TISSUE scenario.

January's issue of Atherosclerosis (Impact of Heart RateVariability on C-Reactive Protein Concentrations in Japanese Adult Nonsmokers) stated simply that, "Lowered HRV, primarily due to parasympathetic dysfunction, was associated with elevated inflammation, independent of weight, insulin sensitivity, and other related factors."

The August issue of Annals of Medicine (Heart Rate, Heart RateVariability and Inflammatory Biomarkers Among Young and Healthy Adults) came to the conclusion that, "Heart rate, heart ratevariability and inflammation are all associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In this large cohort of young and healthy adults, inflammatory parameters were strongly associated with increased heart rate and decreased heart rate variability, suggesting an important interaction between inflammatory pathways and the autonomic nervous system" Great information, but what about older 'healthy' adults?

Eight years ago this month, the American Heart Journal (Decreased Heart RateVariability is Associated with Higher Levels of Inflammation in Middle-Aged Men) revealed that, "Many traditional risk factors for coronary artery disease are associated with altered autonomic function. Physical activity, BMI, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, smoking, depression, and hypertension were directly associated with CRP and IL-6 and inversely associated with one or more HRV variables. C-reactive protein is associated with decreased HRV, even after controlling for traditional coronary artery disease risk factors." None of this should be surprising except the fact that exercise --- particularly too much of it, and particularly hardcore cardio (can anyone say "RUNNING"?) is associated in the scientific literature not only with Sympathetic Dominance and Adrenal Fatigue, but with LEAKY GUT as well.

As you should be noticing, your body's ability to maintain homeostasis is easily measured by HRV --- its second-by-second ability to regulate heart rate. In other words, Heart Rate Variability is a big deal. Listen to the shocking conclusions from the February 2015 issue of PLoS One (Heart RateVariability is More Strongly Associated than Inflammatory and other Frequently Used Biomarkers in a Cross Sectional Occupational Sample). "Cross-sectional comprehensive health data of 3947 working adults (avg age 42) was used. Models showed that a global measure of self-rated health is associated with HRV, and that all measures of autonomic nervous system function were significantly more strongly associated with self-rated health than any other biomarker." This is saying that HRV, as well as things like resting heart and breathing rates are better indicators of your overall health than blood work (biomarkers).

This is why you'll hear me say time and time again, "Inflammation is Everything". Unfortunately, I find that very few people can provide a satisfactory DEFINITION OF INFLAMMATION (they usually think it's synonymous with infection or swelling). Inflammation is a group of chemicals made by your immune system that allows cells to communicate with each other. We need these "biomarkers" (chemicals) in our bodies in order to function and heal properly. The problem is, too much of a good thing is usually a bad thing --- in this case a very bad thing. Although THIS PROTOCOL is certainly valid for dealing with most CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASES or AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES, below are some specific ways to tone down the Sympathetic Dominance and increase your Heart Rate Variability.

WAYS TO CONTROL SYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE, WHILE HELPING TIP YOUR SYSTEM TOWARDS THE PARASYMPATHTIC SIDE

First, realize that not everyone is Sympathetic Dominant. However, from reading my posts on the subject, it shouldn't be too difficult to at least have some sort of idea of whether or not you are. And if you're not quite sure, there are dozens of decent HRV monitors on the market for under two hundred bucks. Secondly, although a non-stressful environment of love and peacefulness is not the cure-all for Sympathetic Dominance, it certainly goes a long way. Thirdly, ever since DR. FRANCES POTTENGER told us to make sure to eat our raw FRUITS & VEGETABLES because they are full of potassium and magnesium that block sympathetic response / heighten parasympathetic response, we've had a pretty good idea how to go about tackling this problem via diet. Here are a few others in no particular order.

LIMIT SCREENS & MEDIA EXPOSURE: Are you getting worked up about the election right now? Don't. While you certainty have every right to be, doing so isn't going to change a thing. It's also important to understand that a great deal of media exposure is purposely designed to deliver an adrenal sympathetic 'rush'.

EXERCISE AND DEEP BREATHING: You don't need to go out and train like a beast. In fact, if you are dealing with chronic health or mental health issues, things like yoga, stretching, Tai Chi, and any number of other low impact forms of exercise are fine.

EAT THE RIGHT WAY: Avoid foods that initiate sympathetic responses, most of which can be EXTREMELY ADDICTIVE --- PROCESSED CARBS and JUNK FOOD, SUGAR, HFCS, caffeine, GLUTEN for some of you (or even some of the NIGHTSHADES pictured above), and any number of others that have the potential to stimulate your adrenals. Beyond this, make sure to eat foods that stimulate parasympathetic response, while limiting sympathetic response. My most frequently recommended diet for regaining and maintaining health? NEED YOU EVEN ASK?

COMMON SENSE HEALTHY LIFESTYLES: Although most of these are not rocket science, many involve understanding GUT HEALTH. There are large numbers of peer-reviewed studies on quieting techniques such as prayer, meditation, deep breathing, etc.

AVOID STRESS AND LIVE IN A WORLD OF PEACE AND LOVE: I get it; I sound almost like a 60's hippy or Bernie supporter here. Just understand that anger, fear, worry, grief, heartache, rejection, suffering, CHRONIC PAIN, powerlessness, hopelessness, insignificance, resentment, jealousy, covetousness, financial burdens, etc, etc, etc) can decimate your health --- particularly if that's what you dwell on. For the record, laughter dampens sympathetic response. One final thought; because sexual arousal is parasympathetic (orgasm itself is sympathetic) make sure to have regular sex and leave lots of time for foreplay.

MEDICATIONS: Plainly stated, GET OFF AS MANY AS POSSIBLE! Numerous DRUGS have sympathetic side effects because they are specifically designed to stimulate that portion of your Autonomic Nervous System. Some of these SIDE EFFECTS include ANXIETY, restlessness, INSOMNIA, dizziness, HEADACHE, nausea, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, dry mouth, etc, etc). Bear in mind that the drugs that purposefully cause a parasympathetic response (one of the best known of these would be BETA BLOCKERS) often leave people feeling lethargic, washed out, unmotivated, and sluggish. Dampening the sympathetics is one reason that MARIJUANA and alcohol have such a large following in our chronically stressed out society.

CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS AND / OR FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGY: For some of you, your Sympathetic Nervous System is stuck in the "on" position and your ADRENAL GLANDS are being perpetually stimulated. Not good. A good FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGIST can probably help you with this, if you've tried everything else. Please realize that CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS to the craniosacral portion of your spine stimulate parasympathetic function. As for Tissue Remodeling (especially for CHRONIC NECK ISSUES); it can activate your parasympathetic system as well (HERE).

OTHERS: If you go to my "SUPER-POST" on Sympathetic Dominance, I show you some real humdingers as far as controlling Sympathetic response is concerned, many of which are ways to stimulate your parasympathetics.

Dr. Schierling completed four years of Kansas State University's five-year Nutrition / Exercise Physiology Program before deciding on a career in Chiropractic. He graduated from Logan Chiropractic College in 1991, and has run a busy clinic in Mountain View, Missouri ever since. He and his wife Amy have four children (three daughters and a son).